Application programming interface for providing access to computing platform definitions

ABSTRACT

Aspects of the disclosure are directed to providing access to the contents of a computing platform definition. A computing platform definition includes entries indicating devices and executables to deploy to a computing platform. An orchestration engine is communicatively connected to a computing platform that implements the computing platform definition. An interface includes callable units that provide access to the computing platform definition which may be invoked by the orchestration engine during execution of a stage of an orchestration pipeline performed with respect to the computing platform. The interface receives from the orchestration engine a request indicating one of the callable units. In response to the request, the interface retrieves the portion of the computing platform definition that is associated with the callable unit indicated and provides that portion of the computing platform definition to the orchestration engine for use during execution of the stage of the orchestration pipeline.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/918,040 entitled “Application Programming Interface for ProvidingAccess to Computing Platform Definitions” and filed on Mar. 12, 2018,which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/233,056entitled “Application Programming Interface for Providing Access toComputing Platform Definitions” and filed on Aug. 10, 2016, which issuedas U.S. Pat. No. 9,977,670 on May 22, 2018, each of which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/558,317 entitled “Distributed Computing System” and filed on Dec. 2,2014 which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,843,483 on Dec. 12, 2017, and whichclaims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Pat. App. No. 62/052,185 entitled“Business Platform as a Service” and filed on Sep. 18, 2014, each ofwhich is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

This application is also related to U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/232,886 entitled “Using Computing Platform Definitions to ProvideSegmented Computing Platforms in a Computing System” and filed on Aug.10, 2016, and to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/232,942 entitled“Orchestration Pipeline for Providing and Operating Segmented ComputingResources” and filed on Aug. 10, 2016, each of which is alsoincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application is generally directed to computer networks anddigital processing systems for multi-computer data transferring. Thepresent application is particularly directed to network computerconfiguring that includes assigning operating characteristics tocomputing devices of a computing system and initializing those computingdevices to establish their functional configuration.

BACKGROUND

Equipping an organization with the computing infrastructure necessary tocarry out its mission becomes more challenging as the organizationincreases in size and complexity. Such challenges include identifyingthe computing resources needed to support the functions of variousaspects of the organization (e.g., departments, divisions, businesschannels), determining whether those needs overlap, and determiningwhere those needs diverge. A computing infrastructure that providesinadequate computing resources may prevent the organization fromfunctioning effectively or efficiently. On the other hand, a computinginfrastructure that goes beyond the needs of the organization may resultin wasted resources, e.g., from unnecessary redundancies. Accordingly,when establishing a computing infrastructure for an organization, onegoal is to provide a computing infrastructure that strikes a balancebetween meeting the needs of the organization, accommodating changes tothose needs (e.g., growth), and avoiding wasted resources.

SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary of various aspects describedherein. This summary is not an extensive overview, and is not intendedto identify key or critical elements or to delineate the scope of theclaims. The following summary merely presents some concepts in asimplified form as an introductory prelude to the more detaileddescription provided below.

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to systems, methods,devices, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media havinginstructions stored thereon for providing access to the contents of acomputing platform definition.

According to some aspects, a computing platform definition includesentries that indicate the devices and executables to be deployed to acomputing platform. The entries may also include build dependencyentries that indicate dependencies to build when building theexecutables of the computing platform. The computing platform definitionmay also indicate a deployment sequence specifying the order in whichthe executables of the computing platform should be deployed to therespective devices of the computing platform.

According to additional aspects, the entries of a computing platform mayalso include additional types of entries. For example, some entries mayindicate test cases to perform at the computing platform and entriesthat indicate the test data to use when performing those test cases.Test cases may be automatically executed at the computing platformaccording to the test case entries and test data entries of itscorresponding computing platform definition. As another example, someentries indicate code standards that the source code of the executablesof a computing platform must satisfy. The source code of the executablesof a computing platform may thus be automatically evaluated according tothe code standard entries of its corresponding computing platformdefinition. As a further example, some entries indicate enforcementstandards that a computing platform must satisfy. The enforcementstandards may indicate if and the extent to which an instance of acomputing platform is permitted to deviate from its correspondingcomputing platform definition. An instance of a computing platform maythus be evaluated according to the enforcement standards, e.g., bycomparing the devices and executables actually deployed at the computingplatform to the device entries and executable entries of itscorresponding computing platform definition. If an instance of acomputing platform definition deviates too far from its correspondingcomputing platform definition, notifications may be provided.

According to further aspects, an orchestration pipeline may includemultiple stages to perform with respect to a computing platform. Thestages of the orchestration pipeline may include, for example, a buildstage that builds the executables of the computing platform, a deploystage that deploys the executables to the computing platform, a teststage that initiates execution of test cases at the computing platform,an scan stage that applies code standards to the source code of theexecutables of the computing platform, and an enforce stage thatdetermines an extent to which the computing platform deviates from thecomputing platform definition. Performing a stage of the orchestrationpipeline may include detecting a trigger for the stage, retrievingentries associated with the stage from the computing platformdefinition, and controlling execution of the stage based on the entriesretrieved.

An interface, such as an application programming interface (API),provides access to the computing platform definition and the entriesincluded therein. The interface includes callable units associated withportions of the computing platform definition that, when invoked,provide the associated portions of the computing platform definition.For example, the interface may include callable units that, whenrespectively invoked, provide, e.g., the computing platform definitionitself, at least one of the device entries, at least one of theexecutable entries, at least one of the build dependency entries, adeployment sequence, at least one test case entry, at least one testdata entry, at least one code standard entry, and at least oneenforcement standard entry.

An orchestration engine may submit to the interface a request thatindicates one of the callable units to invoke. The interface thenretrieves the portion of the computing platform definition associatedwith the callable unit invoked and provides that portion of thecomputing platform to the orchestration engine. The orchestration enginethen utilizes the portion of the computing platform definition providedby the interface during execution of one of the stages of theorchestration pipeline. The portion of the computing platform definitionretrieved may be less than the entire computing platform definition ormay be the entire computing platform definition.

Additional aspects of the present disclosure will be apparent in view ofthe detailed description provided below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the disclosure may be implemented in certain parts, steps,and embodiments that will be described in detail in the followingdescription and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which likereference numerals indicate similar elements. It will be appreciatedwith the benefit of this disclosure that the steps illustrated in theaccompanying figures may be performed in other than the recited orderand that one or more of the steps disclosed may be optional. It willalso be appreciated with the benefit of this disclosure that one or morecomponents illustrated in the accompanying figures may be positioned inother than the disclosed arrangement and that one or more of thecomponents illustrated may be optional.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example of an implementation of acomputing system having multiple segmented computing platforms that aremanaged by a computing platform orchestration system and a computingplatform maintenance system.

FIG. 2 is logical representation of an example of an implementation of acomputing platform definition.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an example orchestration workflow executedby a computing platform orchestration system that interfaces with acomputing platform maintenance system.

FIG. 4 is a logical representation of a portion of an example of animplementation of an application programming interface (API) of acomputing platform maintenance system.

FIG. 5 is an example of an implementation of a portion of a computingplatform data model.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of example method steps for executing anorchestration pipeline for a computing platform.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of example method steps for executing a buildstage of an orchestration pipeline.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of example method steps for executing a deploymentstage of an orchestration pipeline.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of example method steps for executing a testingstage of an orchestration pipeline.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of example method steps for executing a scanningstage of an orchestration pipeline.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of example method steps for executing anenforcement stage of an orchestration pipeline.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of various computing components that may beselectively employed to implement aspects of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

To address the challenges discussed above, techniques are describedbelow for utilizing computing platform definitions in order to implementvarious computing platforms of a computing system. As will beappreciated upon review of the disclosures provided in further detailbelow, the techniques described herein advantageously facilitate theconfiguration, deployment, maintenance, and modification of thecomputing platforms of a computing system.

As a general introduction to the disclosures below, a computing platformdefinition may be employed to establish a computing infrastructure of anorganization. A computing platform definition may indicate sets ofconfigurable elements that can be deployed, installed, instantiated, orotherwise set up at a data center. The sets of configurable elementsinclude sets of hardware devices as well as sets of executables to runat the hardware devices. The computing platform definition may alsoindicate various specifications for the configurable elements (e.g.,device specifications, configuration settings). A computing platformdefinition may indicate additional information associated with acomputing platform which will be discussed in further detail below.

An orchestration engine may utilize the computing platform definition toimplement a corresponding computing platform at a data center. Theorchestration engine may operate to read the computing platformdefinition in order to identify the devices and executables necessary toimplement the computing platform, build the necessary executables, anddeploy those executables to the appropriate devices that have been setup at the data center. Accordingly, the computing platform definitionmay be understood as the logical embodiment of a computing platformwhile the collection of devices and executables set up at a data centermay be understood as the physical embodiment of that computing platform.In turn, a computing platform may be described as implementing acomputing platform definition when the sets of configurable elements(e.g., devices, executables) indicated in the computing platformdefinition have been set up at a data center. In addition, a data centermay be described as implementing a particular computing platform whenthe data center provides a computing platform that implements acomputing platform definition.

A data center may implement one or more computing platforms. Forexample, a data center may implement multiple instances of the samecomputing platform. In this example, the same computing platformdefinition may be utilized to implement each instance of the computingplatform at the data center. In another example, a data center mayimplement different computing platforms. In this other example,different computing platform definitions may be utilized to implementthe respective computing platforms at the data center. Similarly,multiple data centers may implement individual instances of a computingplatform using the same computing platform definition. Data centers maythus be geographically distanced from each other (e.g., a “west coastdata center” and an “east coast data center”) but implement commoncomputing platforms.

Computing administrators may create the computing platform definitions apriori before establishing a data center or a posteriori as an effort tooverhaul an existing data center. Accordingly, the creation of an apriori computing platform definition may involve an assessment of theanticipated needs of an organization (e.g., a particular businesschannel) that the computing platform is intended to support. Forexample, an administrative team may identify the executables users willneed to access and the corresponding devices necessary to run thoseexecutables. The administrative team may then create and configure acomputing platform that indicates the executables and devices identifiedas well as, e.g., any corresponding specifications and configurationsettings. Having identified the devices necessary to implement thecomputing platform, the administrative team may set up the necessarydevices at a data center. The orchestration engine may then automatedeployment of the corresponding executables identified in the computingplatform definition to the devices set up at the data center inaccordance with the specifications in the computing platform definition.As described in further detail below, the orchestration engine may alsoautomate maintenance and testing of the computing platform in accordancewith the computing platform definition.

As another example, existing computing systems may be evaluated foropportunities to overhaul existing computing resources. This evaluationprocess may include taking inventory of the devices and executablescurrently utilized by an organization (e.g., various business channels)at its existing data centers. An administrative team may then review thedevice and executable inventories, e.g., to identify devices andexecutables that are redundant, idle, overworked, and the like. Theadministrative team may, for example, discover that two separatebusiness channels each utilize a common set of executables that run onsimilar devices. In view of this overlap, those executables and devicesmight be good candidates for a new computing platform definition. Theexisting computing system may thus be reconfigured to include one ormore data centers that implement common computing platforms inaccordance with the new computing platform definition. An administrativeteam may also discover that particular executables require a certainlevel of computing resources (e.g., storage, memory, processing speed)in order to operate effectively and efficiently. In view of theserequirements, computing platform definitions that include thoseexecutables may be configured to also include specifications for devicescapable of providing the desired service levels.

As noted above, utilizing computing platform definitions as describedherein facilitates the configuration, deployment, maintenance, andmodification of those computing platforms. Since each computing platformis an individual instance of a computing platform definition, thecomputing platforms may be understood as segmented from one another andthus be described as segmented computing platforms. Each segmentedcomputing platform may be uniquely identifiable via a unique identifiersuch as, e.g., a unique addressable namespace. Segmenting computingplatforms also allows for efficient evaluation of the performance of acomputing platform, e.g., to identify desired modifications. Forexample, administrative teams may assess whether modifications to acomputing platform are needed to, e.g., add resources that canaccommodate increased demand or decommission unused resources.

Segmenting computing platforms thus provides various advantagesassociated with computer security. Such advantages include thoseassociated with access control whereby users (and other computingresources) may be limited to accessing only those devices andexecutables of a particular computing platform. In other words, accesscontrol may be provided at the computing platform level such that users(and other computing resources) are prevented from accessing computingplatforms they are not authorized to access. Segmenting computingplatforms also isolates the network devices (e.g., routers, switches,gateways) of one computing platform from those of other computingplatforms thus allowing for efficient control over the communicationsexchanged between computing platforms. Segmenting computing platformslikewise isolates the data utilized at a particular computing platformthus also allowing for efficient control over if, when, and how thatdata is accessed from other computing platforms. Stated more generally,segmenting computing platforms advantageously facilitates prevention ofunauthorized cross-platform access.

With respect to deployment and modification, a computing platformdefinition and corresponding orchestration engine facilitate theprocesses of building, installing, and updating the executables of acomputing platform. For example, build dependencies and installationsequences for the executables may be defined at the computing platformlevel and indicated in the computing platform definition. Theorchestration engine may thus utilize the computing platform definitionto automate the process of building new or updated executables inaccordance with the specified build dependencies and deploying those newor updated executables in accordance with the specified installationsequence to each of the computing platforms that implement thatcomputing platform definition. In addition, modifications to a computingplatform may be identified at the computing platform level by changing,e.g., the devices, the executables, the specifications, theconfiguration settings, and the like of the computing platformdefinition. Modifications may include, for example, a change to aspecification of a device of the computing platform (e.g., storagecapacity, memory, processing speed), a change to a configuration settingof a device or executable of the computing platform (e.g., securitysettings, logging settings), the addition of a new device or executable,and the removal of an existing device or executable. In turn, theorchestration engine may perform a comparison between the modifiedcomputing platform definition and a particular computing platform thatimplements the computing platform definition. The orchestration enginemay flag discrepancies between the existing implementation of thecomputing platform and the modified computing platform definition. Inresponse to such discrepancies, the orchestration engine may, e.g.,provide a notification of the discrepancy or initiate an automateddeployment process to address the discrepancy. For example, when thecomputing platform definition is modified to add a new device or removean existing device, the notification may prompt an administrator toinstall a new device at the data center implementing the computingplatform or decommission an existing device of the computing platform.As another example, when the computing platform definition is modifiedto add a new executable, update an existing executable, or remove anexisting executable, the orchestration engine may initiate, for eachdata center that implements the computing platform, an automated buildand deploy process for the new or updated executable or an automateduninstall process to remove the existing executable.

With respect to maintenance, a computing platform definition andcorresponding orchestration engine facilitate the processes of testingand troubleshooting computing platforms. As discussed in further detailbelow, a computing platform definition may indicate test cases and testdata used to test a computing platform that implements the computingplatform definition. The computing platform definition may also specifythe test data used by the test cases and data pre-processing rules forthe test cases. The computing platform definition advantageously allowsa computing platform to be implemented in a testing environment thatcorresponds to the computing platform implemented in the productionenvironment. The orchestration engine may thus orchestrate execution ofthe test cases in the testing environment, e.g., before updates areimplemented at the corresponding production environment. The computingplatform definition may also advantageously allow a computing platformto be implemented in an ad hoc fashion, e.g., whenever testing of aparticular computing platform is desired. Additionally or alternatively,the orchestration engine may orchestrate execution of the test cases ona computing platform implemented in the production environment itself,e.g., as a periodic evaluation of the status of that computingenvironment.

In addition, computing platform definitions facilitate effective andefficient maintenance of computing platforms implemented according to aparticular computing platform definition. For example, technical issuesdetected at one computing platform may be anticipated and proactivelyaddressed at other computing platforms that implement the same computingplatform. Furthermore, remedies that address those technical issues maybe provided by updating the computing platform definition and thendeployed to each computing platform that implements that computingplatform definition.

As also described in further detail below, a computing platformdefinition may include various types of standards that the orchestrationengine may enforce. The standards may include, for example, codestandards for the source code of the executables indicated in thecomputing platform definition, configuration standards for the devicesand executables indicated in the computing platform definition, and thelike. Enforcing the standards of a computing platform definition may bepart of the orchestration pipeline executed by the orchestration engine.

The advantages discussed above are just some of those gained byutilizing computing platform definitions to implement computingplatforms of a computing system. Additional advantages will berecognized and appreciated with the benefit of the additionaldisclosures described in further detail below.

It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminology usedherein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded aslimiting. Rather, the phrases and terms used herein are to be giventheir broadest interpretation and meaning. The use of “including” and“comprising” and variations thereof is meant to encompass the itemslisted thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional itemsand equivalents thereof. The use of the terms “mounted,” “connected,”“coupled,” “positioned,” “engaged” and similar terms, is meant toinclude both direct and indirect mounting, connecting, coupling,positioning and engaging. In addition, “set” as used in this descriptionrefers to a collection that may include one element or more than oneelement. Moreover, aspects of the disclosure may be implemented innon-transitory computer-readable media having instructions storedthereon that, when executed by the circuitry of a processor, cause theprocessor to perform various steps described in further detail below. Asused in this description, non-transitory computer-readable media refersto all computer-readable media with the sole exception being atransitory propagating signal.

Turning now to FIG. 1, a block diagram of an example computing system100 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. Thecomputing system 100, in this example, includes a computing platformmaintenance system 102, a computing platform orchestration system 104,data centers 106 a-b, and remote computing devices 108. The computingplatform configurations system 102 is communicatively connected to thecomputing platform orchestration system 104 which is alsocommunicatively connected to the data centers 106 a-b and the remotecomputing devices 108. The remote computing devices 108, in thisexample, are also communicatively connected to the computing platformconfiguration system 102. The connections between the components of thecomputing system may include wired and/or wireless connections and occurvia one or more networks, e.g., wired and/or wireless local areanetworks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs) such as the Internet andcellular networks, and combinations thereof.

The computing platform maintenance system 102, in this example, operatesto create and store computing platform definitions as well as provideaccess to their content. The computing platform maintenance system 102includes a computing platform definition repository 110, a computingplatform management user interface 112, a computing platform applicationprogramming interface (API) 114, and a computing platform rulerepository 116. The computing platform definition repository 110 storesa set 118 of computing platform definitions 120, and the computingplatform rule repository 116 stores a set 122 of computing platformrules 124. As described in further detail below, the computing platformmanagement interface 112 facilitates the management of computingplatforms, computing platform definitions, and computing platform rules.As also described in further detail below, the computing platform API114 provides a way for other components of the computing system100—e.g., the computing platform orchestration system 104—to access acomputing platform definition 120 or a computing platform rule 124.

The computing platform user interface 112 operates receive user inputand provide output associated with computing platforms, computingplatform definitions, and computing platform rules. For example, thecomputing platform user interface 112 may provide interactive displaysconfigured to receive user input to create, edit, and/or view acomputing platform definition 120 or a computing platform rule 124. Theinteractive displays may thus include user interface elements used tocreate and configure the content of a computing platform definition 120or a computing platform rule 124. In one example implementation, thecomputing platform user interface 112 may provide an interactive displaythat includes a selectable list of the set 118 of computing platformdefinitions 120 stored at the computing platform definition repository110. Selecting one of the computing platform definitions in the list maycause the computing platform management user interface 112 to thenprovide various interactive displays that present the content of thecomputing platform definition—e.g., a list of devices and a list ofexecutables—and that present user interface elements for configuringthat content. The computing platform user interface 112 may providesimilar interactive displays for viewing and configuring computingplatform rules.

In some example implementations, the computing platform user interface112 may also provide interactive displays for viewing the status of thecomputing platforms that have been implemented at the data centers(e.g., data centers 106 a-b) of the computing system 100. Accordingly,the computing platform user interface 112 may provide variousinteractive displays that include, e.g., a selectable list of the datacenters of the computing system, a selectable list of the computingplatforms implemented at a data center, a selectable list of the devicesdeployed to a computing platform, and a selectable list of theexecutables deployed to a device, and the like. A user may thus navigatethe implementation of a computing platform by selecting data centers,computing platforms, devices, and executables of interest. Through theseinteractive displays, users (e.g., administrators) may assess thecurrent and historical status of the computing platforms and itsassociated devices and executables. Status information may include,e.g., storage capacity, processor usage, memory usage, network bandwidthusage, network latency, request/response latency, number of users, errorrates, and the like. In this way, users may evaluate whethermodifications to the computing platform are necessary, e.g., to addadditional computing resources to meet high demand, to changeconfiguration settings of existing computing resources, or todecommission unused resources.

The computing platform management user interface 112 may be implementedin various ways. For example, the computing platform management userinterface 112 may include one or more of a desktop application installedat the computing platform maintenance system 102 itself or one of theremote computing devices 108, a web application (e.g., a computingplatform management dashboard) accessed via a web browser, a mobileapplication installed at a mobile computing device (e.g., a tabletcomputer, a mobile telephone), and a command line interface. Additionaland alternative techniques may be selectively employed to implement thecomputing platform management interface 112.

The computing platform definition repository 110 includes a data storethat stores the set 118 of computing platform definitions 120. Varioustechniques may be selectively employed to implement a computing platformdefinition 120, and those techniques will be discussed in further detailbelow with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 5. In general, a computingplatform definition 120 indicates a set of devices and a set ofexecutables that make up the computing platform. As discussed above, acomputing platform may be configured to support a particular aspect ofan organization. As an example, in the context of a computing systemthat supports a banking institution, various computing platforms mayrespectively support individual lines of business of the bank which mayinclude, e.g., a line of business that handles personal banking for bankcustomers, a line of business that handles investment portfolios forbank customers and the like. The personal banking line of business mayrequire a computing platform that provides, e.g., the devices andexecutables necessary to access and maintain personal banking accounts(e.g., deposits, withdrawals, account transfers, and the like). Suchdevices and executables, in this example, may include those utilized bythe baking customers themselves (e.g., web-based account profiles) aswell as customer service representatives (e.g., bank tellers and callcenter agents.). It will be appreciated with the benefit of thisdisclosure that this example “personal banking” computing platformdefinition may be selectively configured according to the goals andpreferences associated with a particular implementation. For example, inone implementation, a “personal banking” computing platform definitionmay be configured to identify the devices and executables utilized byboth the bank customers and the bank employees. In anotherimplementation, however, two “personal banking” computing platformdefinitions may be created—one that indicates the devices andexecutables utilized by the bank customers for personal bankingactivities (e.g., a “bank customer personal banking” computing platform)and one that indicates the devices and executables utilized by the bankemployees for personal banking activities (e.g., a “bank employeepersonal banking” computing platform). In this latter example, it willalso be appreciated that a single data center may nevertheless implementeach of the two “personal banking” computing platforms for the bankcustomers and bank employees respectively. Additional and alternativeexamples will be appreciated with the benefit of this disclosure.

The computing platform rule repository includes a data store that storesthe set 122 of computing platform rules 124. A computing platform rule124 may be associated with a particular stage of the orchestrationpipeline (e.g., the testing stage, the scanning stage, and theenforcement stage). A computing platform rule 124 may, for example,specify criteria that must be satisfied for a stage of the orchestrationpipeline to start or complete successfully. Examples of such criteriainclude, e.g., a minimum number or percentage of test cases that mustpass for successful completion of the testing stage, a maximum number orpercentage of test cases that can fail before the testing stage fails,data processing rules (e.g., normalization, randomization,sanitization), rules that the source code of the executables mustsatisfy, the extent to which an implementation of a computing platformmay deviate from its corresponding computing platform definition, andthe like. The set 122 of computing platform rules 124 may, in someexample implementations, be global rules that apply to each computingplatform definition 120 created. In other example, implementations,various computing platform rules 124 may selectively apply to individualcomputing platform definitions 120. A computing platform definition 120,for example, may be configured to reference or otherwise indicate one ormore of the computing platform rules 124 stored in the computingplatform rule repository 116. The computing platform rules 124 indicatedin a computing platform definition 120 may thus apply to any computingplatforms that implement that computing platform definition. Separatingthe computing platform rules 124 from the computing platform definitions120 to which those rules apply thus facilitates efficient management andmaintenance of the computing platform rules. For example, a user needonly update a computing platform rule 124 once, and any changes will beavailable to each computing platform definition 120 that references orotherwise indicates that rule.

The computing platform API 114 is a mechanism for accessing the contentof a computing platform definition 120. As seen in FIG. 1, the computingplatform API 114 may be accessed by the computing platform orchestrationsystem 104 which may submit requests to and receive response from thecomputing platform API 114. Accordingly, the API 114 includes a set ofcallable units that may be invoked to provide access to the computingplatform definition and its contents. As described in further detailbelow, the computing platform API may provide a requested computingplatform definition 120 itself or requested content from a particularcomputing platform definition.

The computing platform API 114 may be selectively implemented in variousways. Techniques that may be employed for implementing the computingplatform API include a service such as a web service, a set of remoteprocedure calls, a software library or framework, a series of uniformresource indicator (URI) paths to a corresponding folder structure, andthe like. Accordingly, depending on its particular implementation, acomputing platform API may reside at a computing platform orchestrationsystem in alternative implementations rather than at the computingplatform maintenance system 102 as shown by way of example in FIG. 2.The computing platform API is discussed in further detail below withrespect to FIG. 4.

The computing platform orchestration system 104, in this example,operates to carry out an orchestration pipeline associated with acomputing platform. An orchestration pipeline, in some exampleimplementations, may include a build stage, a deployment stage, atesting stage, a scanning stage, and an enforcement stage. Executing anorchestration pipeline may include executing each stage of theorchestration pipeline in sequence, executing a subset of the stages(e.g., build, deploy, test), or executing individual stages (e.g., ondemand). The various stages of an orchestration pipeline will bediscussed in further detail below. The computing platform orchestrationsystem 104, in this example, includes an orchestration engine 126 thatorchestrates execution of the orchestration pipeline, a set 128 oforchestration definitions 130 utilized to carry out the stages of theorchestration pipeline, and an orchestration user interface 132 forselectively controlling operation of the orchestration engine.

The orchestration engine 126 operates to execute the various stages ofthe orchestration pipeline. As noted above, the orchestration engine 126utilizes various orchestration definitions 130 when executing the stagesof the orchestration pipeline. The orchestration definitions 130includes, for example, pipeline definitions that specify the stages ofan orchestration pipeline and the sequence of those stages, stagedefinitions that specify the actions to perform during an orchestrationstage and the sequence of those actions, and event definitions thespecify actions to perform in response to events observed duringexecution of the orchestration pipeline or one of its stages.Accordingly, a pipeline definition may indicate one or more of the stagedefinitions and one or more of the event definitions. For example, onepipeline definition may identify respective stage definitions for eachstage of an orchestration pipeline (e.g., build, deploy, test, scan, andenforce) while another pipeline definition may identify a subset of theavailable stage definitions (e.g., build, deploy, and test). Stagedefinitions may also indicate one or more triggers that initiateexecution of a stage of the orchestration framework. As one example, acommit of new or updated source code to a source code repository maytrigger the build stage of an orchestration pipeline. Additionalexamples of triggers will be discussed in further detail below. Theevent definitions may indicate various actions to perform uponcompletion of a stage of the orchestration pipeline and the results oroutcome of that stage, e.g., what to do in the event that a stage was orwas not successfully completed. As one example, an event definition mayindicate that an administrator should be notified in the event that thetesting stage of the orchestration pipeline failed. As another example,an event definition may indicate that an administrator should benotified when it is determined that a computing platform deviates fromits corresponding computing platform definition by more than apredetermined deviation threshold, e.g., upon completing the enforcementstage of the orchestration pipeline. Additional examples will beappreciated with the benefit of this disclosure, e.g., providingnotifications when an executable fails to build or deploy, when athreshold amount of test cases fail, when a threshold amount of codestandards are violated, and the like.

The orchestration user interface 132 operates to receive user input andprovide output associated with an orchestration pipeline and its variousstages. For example, the orchestration user interface may provideinteractive displays for selecting and initiating the orchestrationpipeline or various stages of the orchestration pipeline. In addition,the orchestration user interface 132 may present the outcome or resultsof an orchestration pipeline and its various stages, e.g., whether thepipeline and/or stages completed successfully.

Like the computing platform management user interface 112, theorchestration user interface 132 may be implemented in various ways. Forexample, the orchestration user interface 132 may include one or more ofa desktop application installed at the computing platform orchestrationsystem 104 itself or one of the remote computing devices 108, a webapplication (e.g., a computing platform management dashboard) accessedvia a web browser, a mobile application installed at a mobile computingdevice (e.g., a tablet computer, a mobile telephone), and a command lineinterface. Additional and alternative techniques may be selectivelyemployed to implement the computing platform orchestration 132.

As noted above, the computing platform orchestration system 104 iscommunicatively connected to various data centers, e.g., data centers106 a-b in this example. As also noted above, the data centers such asdata centers 106 a-b, in this example, are communicatively connected tothe computing platform orchestration system 104. Each data center 106a-b, in this example, implements at least one computing platform, andthose computing platforms may the same or different computing platformdefinitions. Data center 106 a, in this example, is illustrated asimplementing two computing platforms 134 a-b. For the sake ofdiscussion, assume that each computing platform 134 a-b implements thesame computing platform definition. The computing platforms 134 a-b thusprovide a common set of executables 136 and common sets of devices 138a-c. The set of executables 136 may include, for example, applications,services, programs, frameworks, and the like. The sets of devices 138a-c may include sets of various types of devices including, for example,a set of storage devices 138 a, a set of processing devices 138 b (e.g.,web servers, application servers), and a set of network devices 138 c(e.g., routers, switches, gateways). The sets of devices may alsoinclude peripheral devices including input devices (e.g., a keyboard, amouse, a microphone, a camera, a scanner) and output devices (e.g.,display screens, speakers, printers). Although the computing platforms134 a-b implement the same computing platform definition, the computingplatforms are segmented from each other at the data center 106 a asdescribed above. Accordingly, the set of executables 136 and sets ofdevices 138 a-c at computing platform 134 a are segmented from those atcomputing platform 134 b. Furthermore, the computing platformorchestration system may be communicative connected to computingplatforms implemented at multiple data centers, e.g., computingplatforms 134 a-b at data center 106 a and computing platform 134 c atdata center 106 b.

As also noted above, one or more remote computing devices 108 arecommunicatively connected to the computing platform orchestration system104 and the computing platform maintenance system 102. The remotecomputing devices 108 may include various types of computing devicessuch as, for example, computing devices having test data repositories,computing devices configured for code development, testing, andversioning, computing devices configured for remotely accessing thecomputing platform orchestration system 104 and the computing platformmaintenance system 104 (e.g., via a desktop, mobile, or webapplication). Additional and alternative types of remote computingdevices 108 will be appreciated with the benefit of this disclosure.

In FIG. 2, a logical representation of an example computing platformdefinition 200 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure isshown. The computing platform definition 200 is described by way ofexample only to convey various principles associated with computingplatform definitions. It will be appreciated that particularimplementations of computing platform definitions may include a subsetof the content described in further detail below, additional content,and/or alternative content which will be appreciated with the benefit ofthis disclosure.

The computing platform definition 200, in this example, includes contentdirected to the devices, executables, build artifacts, test cases,rules, and standards for a computing platform. Accordingly, thecomputing platform definition 200, in this example, includes a devicelist 202, an executable list 204, a build dependency list 206, a testcase list 208, a data processing rule list 210, a code standard list212, and an enforcement standard list 214. It will be appreciated withthe benefit of the disclosures provided below, that the devices,executables, configuration settings, rules, and standards for acomputing platform may be defined once at a computing platformdefinition and inherited by each computing platform that implements thatdefinition.

The device list 202 indicates the hardware devices for the computingplatform which may include storage devices, processing devices, networkdevices, peripheral devices, and the like. The device list 202 mayinclude, for each device listed, a device entry 216 and a correspondingdevice specification 218. The device entry 216 may indicate a uniqueidentifier, a name, a description, a type, and the like. The devicespecification 218 may specify the device characteristics that the devicemust satisfy. For example, a device specification 218 may specify arequired processor speed, storage capacity, memory, operating system,networking capabilities, input capabilities, output capabilities, devicepermissions, and the like. The device specification 218 may includeadditional and alternative types of device information.

The executable list 204 indicates the executables for the computingplatform which may include applications, programs, services, and thelike. The executable list 204 may indicate, for each device listed, anexecutable entry 220 and a corresponding executable specification 222.The executable entry 220 may include a unique identifier, a name, adescription, a type, and the like. The executable specification 222 mayspecify the executable characteristics that the executable must satisfy.For example, an executable specification 222 may specify a requiredexecutable version, executable configuration settings, executablepermissions, and the like. The executable specification 222 may alsoindicate a device the executable should be deployed to. The executablespecification 222 may include additional and alternative types ofexecutable information. The executable list 204, in this example, alsoincludes a deployment sequence entry 224 and a corresponding deploymentsequence specification 226. The deployment sequence specification 226 ofthe deployment sequence entry 224 may indicate the sequence in which theexecutables of the computing platform should be deployed to therespective devices of the computing platform. The deployment sequencespecification 226 of the deployment sequence entry 224 may additionallyor alternatively indicate the sequence in which the build artifacts of aparticular executable should be deployed to a device of the computingplatform. Accordingly, the executable list of a computing platformdefinition may include multiple deployment sequence entries, e.g., anoverall deployment sequence entry for the executables of the computingplatform and multiple deployment sequence entries for the buildartifacts of respective executables of the computing system.

The build dependency list 206 indicates the build dependencies for theexecutables of the computing system. Build dependencies may include, forexample, libraries, frameworks, other executables, and the like thatshould also be built during any build of the executable itself. Thebuild dependency list 206 may include, for one or more of theexecutables of the computing platform, a build dependency entry 228 anda corresponding build dependency specification 230. The build dependencyentry 228 may indicate the executable it is associated with, e.g., viathe unique identifier associated with the executable. The builddependency specification 230 of a build dependency entry 228 mayindicate one or more build dependencies (e.g., via a unique identifier)as well as a build sequence for the build dependencies. The builddependency list 206 may include multiple build dependency entries forrespective executables of a computing platform. The build dependencyspecification 230 of a build dependency entry 228 may include additionaland alternative types of build dependency information.

The test case list 208 indicates the test cases to be executed for acomputing platform, e.g., during the testing stage of the orchestrationpipeline. The test cases may include test cases for unit testing,integration testing, system testing, regression testing, performancetesting, usability testing, security testing, and the like. The testcase list 208 may include, for each test case, a test case entry 232 anda corresponding test case specification 234. The test case specification234 of a test case entry 232 may indicate, for example, a device of thecomputing platform at which to execute the test case or an executable ofthe computing platform for which to execute the test case. The test casespecification 234 may, in some example implementations, explicitlyspecify the test case to perform for the computing platform.Alternatively, the test case specification 234 may simply reference(e.g., via a unique identifier) a test case defined and stored elsewherein a computing system, e.g., at a computing platform maintenance system102 or a remote computing device 108. In some example implementations, atest case list may include test case entries that explicitly specify thetest case to perform as well as test case entries that reference testcases defined and stored elsewhere. In this way, global test cases maybe defined for all computing platforms and referenced by theircorresponding computing platform definitions while still allowing localtest cases to be defined and configured for a particular computingplatform.

The test case list 208 may also indicate the test data to utilize whenexecuting the test cases. Accordingly, the test case list 208, in thisexample, also includes a test data entry 236 and a corresponding testdata specification 238. A test data entry 236 may be associated with oneor more of the test case entries 232. The test data specification 238may thus identify (e.g., via a unique identifier) the respective testcase entries 232 the test data entry is associated with. A test dataspecification 238 may explicitly specify the test data to utilize for atest case or may include a reference to a test data repository toutilize for the test case. For example, a test data specification 238may specify the location of a test data repository, e.g., a networkaddress, a device address, a table, a column, or a row of a test datadatabase, and the like. As noted above, the test data repositoryreferenced by a test data specification 238 may be located at a remotecomputing device 108 (FIG. 1). The test data entries 236 of the testcase list 208 may be utilized to configure (e.g., pre-configure oron-demand) a test data repository in a testing environment for testing acomputing platform that implements the computing platform definition200.

The test case list 208 may additionally indicate test criteria for thetest case entries 232 of the test case list. Accordingly, the test caselist 208, in this example, also includes a test criteria entry 240 and acorresponding test criteria specification 242. The test criteriaspecification 242 may indicate criteria that the results of the testcases must satisfy in order for a testing stage to be successfullycompleted. For example, the test criteria specification 242 may indicatea threshold amount (e.g., a number, a percentage) of the test cases thatmust pass to successfully complete the testing stage. The test criteriaspecification 242 may also indicate one or more particular test casesthat must pass to successfully complete the testing stage (e.g., testcases that are critical or otherwise identified as important testcases). Additional and alternative types of test criteria may beselectively employed.

The data processing rule list 210 indicates how data associated with acomputing platform should be processed (e.g., pre-processing orpost-processing of the data). Processing the data associated with acomputing platform may include sanitizing the data (e.g., to removepersonal identifying information), randomizing the data, protecting thedata (e.g., via encryption), and the like. Accordingly, the dataprocessing rule list 210, in this example, includes a processing ruleentry 244 and a corresponding processing rule specification 246. Theprocessing rule specification 246 may indicate the type of data to whichthe rule applies (e.g., live data, test data) and how the data should beprocessed (e.g., sanitized, randomized, encrypted). Additional andalternative types of processing rules may be selectively employed.

The code standard rule list 212 indicates standards that the source codeof the executables of the computing platform must (or should) satisfy.The code standards may be directed to, for example, security standards(e.g., authentication, authorization, code vulnerabilities), stabilitystandards (e.g., input validation, error handling, logging), stylestandards (e.g., tabs versus spaces), best practices, and the like. Codestandards may be enforced during the scanning stage of the orchestrationpipeline in which the orchestration engine evaluates the source code andapplies the code standards. Accordingly, the code standard list 212, inthis example, includes a code standard entry 248 and a correspondingcode standard specification 250. The code standard entry 248 maycorrespond to a global code standard that applies to the source code ofeach executable of the computing platform or may correspond to a codestandard that only applies to a subset of the executables of thecomputing platform (e.g., one or more). A code standard specification250 may thus indicate, for example, one or more executables of thecomputing platform (e.g., via a unique identifier for the executable),the type of code standard (e.g., security, stability, style), and thelike. A code standard specification 250 also may explicitly indicate thecode standard that the source code must satisfy or may reference a codestandard (e.g., via a unique identifier) defined and stored elsewhere,e.g., at a remote computing device 108 (FIG. 1). Additional andalternative types of code standards may be selectively employed.

The code standard list 248 may additionally indicate code standardcriteria for the code standard entries 248 of the code standard list.Accordingly, the code standard list 212, in this example, also includesa code standard criteria entry 252 and a corresponding code standardcriteria specification 254. The code standard criteria specification 252may indicate criteria that the code evaluations must satisfy in orderfor a scanning stage to be successfully completed. For example, the codestandard criteria specification 252 may indicate a threshold amount(e.g., a number, a percentage) of the code standards that must pass tosuccessfully complete the scanning stage. The code standardspecification 252 may also indicate one or more particular codestandards that must be satisfied to successfully complete the scanningstage (e.g., code standards that are critical or otherwise identified asimportant code standards). Additional and alternative types of codestandard criteria may be selectively employed.

The enforcement standard list 214 indicates standards that the computingplatform itself must (or should) satisfy. It will be appreciated thatparticular implementations of a computing platform may, in someinstances, not precisely match its corresponding computing platformdefinition. For example, the particular implementation of a computingplatform may drift over time if devices and/or executables are addedand/or removed from the computing platform, e.g., for testing,maintenance, and the like. An orchestration pipeline may thus include anenforcement stage in which a computing platform is evaluated against itscorresponding computing platform definition to determine the extent towhich the computing platform deviates from the computing platformdefinition. For example, the orchestration engine may determine duringthe enforcement stage whether, e.g., the computing platform includes thedevices and executables indicated in the computing platform definition,whether the computing platform includes devices or executables notindicated in the computing platform, whether the devices and executablesare configured according to the device specifications and executablespecifications included in the computing platform definition, and thelike. Accordingly, the enforcement standard list 214, in this example,includes an enforcement standard entry 256 and corresponding enforcementstandard specification 258. An enforcement standard specification 256may explicitly indicate the enforcement standard that the computingplatform must satisfy or may reference an enforcement standard (e.g.,via a unique identifier) defined and stored elsewhere, e.g., at a remotecomputing device 108 (FIG. 1). Additional and alternative types ofenforcement standards may be selectively employed.

The enforcement standard list 214 may additionally indicate enforcementstandard criteria for the enforcement standard entries 256 of theenforcement standard list. Accordingly, the enforcement standard list214, in this example, also includes an enforcement standard criteriaentry 260 and a corresponding enforcement standard criteriaspecification 262. The enforcement standard criteria specification 262may indicate criteria that the computing platform evaluations mustsatisfy in order for an enforcement stage to be successfully completed.For example, the enforcement standard criteria specification 262 mayindicate a threshold amount (e.g., a number, a percentage) of theenforcement standards that must pass to successfully complete theenforcement stage. The enforcement standard specification 262 may alsoindicate one or more particular enforcement standards that must besatisfied to successfully complete the enforcement stage (e.g.,enforcement standards that are critical or otherwise identified asimportant enforcement standards). Additional and alternative types ofenforcement standard criteria may be selectively employed.

The physical implementations of computing platform definitions may takevarious forms. Techniques that may be employed for implementing acomputing platform definition include, e.g., a data model andcorresponding database implementing that data model in which tables,columns, and rows correspond to the various components of the computingplatform definition, one or more structured text files created using amark-up language in which tags identify the various components of thecomputing platform definition (e.g., one or more XML files), ahierarchical tree structure in which the nodes of a tree correspond tothe various components of the computing platform definition, a folderstructure in which folder paths to stored configuration files correspondto the various components of the computing platform definition, andadditional techniques suitable for indicating the various components ofa computing platform definition such as those discussed above withreference to the computing platform definition 200.

In FIG. 3, a block diagram of an example orchestration pipeline 300 inaccordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. Theorchestration pipeline 300, in this example, includes multiple stageswhich include a build stage 302, a deploy stage 304, a test stage 306, ascan stage 308, and an enforcement stage 310. As noted above,alternative orchestration pipelines may include a subset of the stages302-310, include additional stages, and include alternative stages.Furthermore, the stages 302-310 of the orchestration pipeline may eachbe executed in the sequence depicted in FIG. 3, executed in alternativesequences, executed individually, and the like. In this example, theorchestration engine 126 of the computing platform orchestration system104 orchestrates operation of orchestration pipeline 300 and itsindividual stages 302-310. The orchestration engine 126 may carry outthe orchestration pipeline 300 with respect to individual computingplatforms of a computing system.

The orchestration pipeline 300 may be configured such that completion ofeach stage 302-310 triggers the next stage in the orchestrationpipeline. Additional and alternative triggers, however, may initiate therespective stages 302-310 of the orchestration pipeline 300. Forexample, the orchestration pipeline 300 and/or its various stages302-310 may be triggered at the start of a predetermined time period,e.g., once an hour, once a day, once a week, once a month, and the like.In various implementations, a user may specify (e.g., via anorchestration user interface 132) the frequency with which theorchestration pipeline 300 and/or its individual stages 302-310 arecarried out. As another example, the orchestration pipeline 300 and/orits various stages 302-310 may be triggered in response to detection ofan event associated with the computing platform. The build stage 302and/or the scan stage 308, for example, may be triggered in response todetecting a commit of source code associated with an executable of acomputing platform. The deploy stage 304 may be triggered in response toa successful build of an executable associated with a computingplatform. The test stage 306 may be triggered in response to detecting asuccessful deployment of build artifacts to a computing platform. Theorchestration pipeline 300 and/or its various stages 302-310 may betriggered on-demand, e.g., via user selections received at anorchestration user interface (e.g., orchestration user interface 132).For example, a user may navigate various interactive displays presentedby an orchestration user interface 132 (FIG. 1) to select a data centerand a corresponding computing platform and to select a stage of theorchestration pipeline to perform with respect to the selected computingplatform.

The build stage 302 of the orchestration pipeline 300, as noted above,generates the build artifacts of the executables of a computingplatform. The deployment stage 304 deploys the build artifacts to theappropriate devices of the computing platform. The testing stage 306executes the test cases associated with a computing platform. Thescanning stage 308 evaluates the source code of the executables of acomputing device and applies code standards defined for the computingplatform. Finally, the enforcement stage 310 evaluates a computingplatform to determine the extent to which it conforms to or deviatesfrom its corresponding computing platform definition.

During operation of the orchestration pipeline 300 and its variousstages 302-310, the orchestration engine 126 accesses the computingplatform definition 120 associated with the respective computingplatform. As described above, the orchestration engine 126 invokes thecomputing platform API 114 to access the computing platform definition120 and its content. The orchestration engine 126 may also invoke thecomputing platform API 114 to access computing platform rules 124associated with the respective computing platform during execution ofthe orchestration pipeline 300 and/or its various stages 302-310.

In FIG. 4, a logical representation of a portion of a computing platformapplication programming interface (API) 400 in accordance with aspectsof the present disclosure is shown.

In this example, the callable units of the computing platform API 400are implemented as a set of functions that may be invoked by anorchestration engine (e.g., orchestration engine 132). As seen in FIG.4, the functions of this portion of the example API 400 are configuredto retrieve content from a computing platform definition using uniqueidentifiers associated with the components of a computing platform. Asalso seen in FIG. 4, the example functions are configured to retrieveinformation regarding aspects of a computing platform including, e.g., afunction 402 to retrieve a list of computing platforms of the computingsystem, a function 404 to retrieve a list of versions of a particularcomputing platform, a function 406 to retrieve a list of executables fora particular version of a particular computing platform, a function 408to retrieve a list of build artifacts for a particular executable of aparticular version of a particular computing platform, a function 410 toretrieve a list of deployment switches for a particular build artifactof a particular executable of a particular version of a particularcomputing platform, a function 412 to retrieve a list of environments ofa particular computing platform, and a function 414 to retrieve a listof computing devices of a particular environment. Versions,environments, and deployments switches will be discussed in furtherdetail below with reference to FIG. 5.

The functions 402-414 of the portion of the example computing platformAPI 400 are provided by way of example only. The API 400 may, forexample, include additional functions to access a computing platformdefinition and/or its contents. For example, the computing platform API400 may include functions to retrieve the following informationassociated with a computing platform: a deployment sequence for theexecutables of a computing platform (e.g.,get_deploymentsequence(platform_id, version_id); a list of builddependencies for the executables of a computing platform and/or aparticular executable (e.g., get_builddependencies(platform_id,version_id), get_bubilddependencies(exec_id)); a list of test cases fora computing platform, a particular device of the computing platform,and/or a particular executable of the computing platform (e.g.,get_testcases(platform_id, version_id), get_testcases(device_id),get_testcases(exec_id)); a list of test data used to test a computingplatform, a particular device of the computing platform, and/or aparticular executable of the computing platform (e.g.,get_testdata(platform_id, version_id), get_testdata(device_id),get_testdata(exec_id)); a list of the data processing rules for acomputing platform (e.g., get_dataprocessingrule(platform_id,version_id)); a list of the code standard rules and the correspondingcode standard criteria for a computing platform (e.g.,get_codestandards(platform_id, version_id),get_codestandardcriteria(platform_id, version_id)); a list of theenforcement standards and the corresponding enforcement standardcriteria for a computing platform (e.g.,get_enforcementstandards(platform_id, version_id),get_enforcementstandardcriteria(platform_id, version_id)); andadditional types of functions that will be appreciated with the benefitof this disclosure. The API 400 may also include additional functions toretrieve specifications for particular components of a computingplatform definition. For example, the computing platform API 400 mayinclude the following functions that provide the correspondingspecification for an entry in a computing platform definition: a devicespecification (e.g., get_device_spec(device_id)), an executablespecification (e.g., get executable_spec(exec_id)), a build dependencyspecification (e.g., get_dependency_spec(depenency_id)), a test casespecification (e.g., get_testcase_spec(testcase_id)), a test dataspecification (e.g., get_testdata_spec(testdata_id)), a test criteriaspecification (e.g., get_testcriteria_spec(testcriteria_id)), a dataprocessing rulespecification (e.g.,get_dataprocessingrule_spec(dataprocessingrule_id)), a code standardspecification (e.g., get_codestandard_spec(codestandard_id)), a codestandard criteria specification (e.g.,get_codestandardcriteria_spec(codestandardcriteria_id)), an enforcementstandard specification (e.g.,get_enforcementstandard_spec(enforcementstandard_id)), an enforcementstandard criteria specification (e.g.,get_enforcementstandardcriteria_spec(enforcementstandardcriteria_id)),and additional types of specifications that will be appreciated with thebenefit of this disclosure.

In FIG. 5, a portion of an example computing platform data model 500 inaccordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. As seen inFIG. 5, the computing platform data model 500 includes various entitiesand relationships directed to a computing platform. The relationshipsbetween the entities of the computing platform data model 500 mayinclude one-to-one relationships, one-to-many relationships, andmany-to-many relationships. A database may implement the computingplatform data model 500, e.g., using database tables and databaserecords. The computing platform data model 500 may thus be employed toimplement a computing platform definition as noted above. In FIG. 5, theparticular attributes of the entities and relationships, in thisexample, have been omitted of the sake of clarity. Example attributes,however, are identified below. However, FIG. 5 does identify therespective primary keys and foreign keys used to establish relationshipsbetween the entities of the example computing platform data model 500.It will be appreciated that the entities and relationships of thecomputing platform data model 500 are described by way of example onlyand that various implementations of a computing platform data model mayinclude additional and alternative entities and/or relationships inaccordance with the disclosures provided herein.

The computing platform data model 500 is configured to model a computingplatform definition and its various components. Accordingly, thecomputing platform data model 500, in this example, includes a computingplatform entity 502, a version entity 504, and an environment entity506. The computing platform entity 502 corresponds to the computingplatform physically implemented at a data center. Attributes of thecomputing platform may include, for example, a name, a geographiclocation, an aspect of an organization the computing platform supports(e.g., a division, department, line-of-business), and other contentdiscussed above with respect to a computing platform. The version entity504 corresponds to a version of a computing platform. Attributes of theversion entity 504 may include, for example, a version number, a releasedate, an indication of whether the version is the current version, andthe like. Versioning advantageously provides a time-dimensioned view ofa computing platform definition in which a history of the changes overtime to the computing platform definition is available. In addition,versioning advantageously allows a computing system to revert to aprevious version of a computing platform. As seen in FIG. 5, an instanceof computing platform entity 502 may be related to one or more instancesof a version entity 504, and an instance of a version entity may berelated to one or more instances of a computing platform entity.Accordingly, the computing platform data model 500, in this example,includes a platform version entity 508 to provide a many-to-manyrelationship between the computing platform entity 502 and the versionentity 504. The environment entity 506, in this example, indicates thecontext of the computing platform, for example, whether a computingplatform is (or should be) implemented in a development environment, atesting environment, or a production environment. Attributes of theenvironment entity may include, for example, a context (e.g.,development, testing, production), and the like. As seen in FIG. 5, aninstance of a computing platform entity 502 may be related to one ormore instances of an environment entity 504. It will thus be appreciatedthat the same computing platform may be implemented in each of adevelopment, testing, and production environment based on the samecomputing platform definition.

The computing platform data model 500, in this example, also includes adevice entity 510 and a device type entity 512. The device entity 510corresponds to a physical device that is (or should be) deployed to adata center for a computing platform. Attributes of the device entity510 may include, for example, a device name, a device address, and otherattributes corresponding to those discussed above with respect to thedevice specification. As seen in FIG. 5, the device entity 506 isrelated to both the environment entity 506 and the device type entity512. Each instance of the device entity 510 is related to one instanceof the environment entity 506, and correspondingly an instance of theenvironment entity may be related to one or more instances of the deviceentity. Likewise, each instance of the device entity 510 is related toone instance of the device type entity 512, and correspondingly, aninstance of the device type entity may be related to one or moreinstances of the device entity. The device type entity 512 correspondsto a device type of an instance of the device entity 510. As usedherein, a device type refers to the set of executables deployed to adevice. In other words, a device of a computing platform may be referredto according to the set of executables deployed to the device, and adevice type is defined by a set of one or more executables. Two deviceshaving the same set of executables deployed thereto may be considered tobe of the same device type. Two devices having a different set ofexecutables deployed thereto may be considered to be of different devicetypes. The executables that define a device type may include, forexample, an operating system, a service, an application, a program, aframework, a library, and the like.

The computing platform data model 500, in this example, further includesan executable entity 514 and a build artifact entity 516. The executableentity 514 corresponds to an executable that is (or should be) deployedto a device of a computing platform. Attributes of the executable entity514 may include, for example, a name, a version, a configurationsetting, and other attributes corresponding to those discussed abovewith respect to the executable specification. The build artifact entity516 corresponds to a build artifact that is generated during a build ofan executable. Attributes of the build artifact entity 516 may include,for example, a name, artifact type, and other attributes correspondingto those discussed above with respect to the build artifactspecification. As also noted above, a build artifact refers to thephysical files associated with an executable including, e.g., binaries,resource files, configuration files, and the like. As seen in FIG. 5,the executable entity 514 is related to both the computing platformentity 502 and the build artifact entity 516. Each instance of anexecutable entity 514 is related to one instance of the computingplatform entity 502, and correspondingly an instance of the computingplatform entity may be related to one or more instances of theexecutable entity. Similarly, each instance of the build artifact entity516 is related to one instance of the executable entity 514, andcorrespondingly an instance of the executable entity may be related toone or more instances of the build artifact entity.

The computing platform data model 500, in this example, additionallyincludes a deployment switch entity 518. A deployment switch as usedherein refers to instructions for deploying the build artifacts of theexecutables associated with a particular device type. It will beappreciated based on the disclosures above that multiple device typesmay include the same executable and that, in turn, the build artifactsrelated to those executables may be related to multiple device types.Accordingly, the deployment switch entity 518 models this many-to-manyrelationship between instances of a build artifact and instances of adevice type. An instance of a build artifact entity 516 may thus berelated to one or more instances of the deployment switch entity 518,and similarly an instance of a device type entity 512 may thus berelated to one or more instances of the deployment switch entity. Adeployment switch may indicate, for example, the sequence in which thebuild artifacts should be deployed to a device of a computing platform,configuration settings to apply once the build artifacts are deployed,and the like.

The computing platform data model 500, in this example, thus alsoincludes a deployment switch feature entity 520 and a deployment switchparameter entity 522 which are each related to the deployment switchentity 518. As seen in FIG. 5, an instance of the deployment switchentity 518 is related to one or more instances of the deployment switchfeature entity 520 and to one or more instances of the deployment switchparameter entity 522. Correspondingly, each instance of the deploymentswitch feature entity 520 is related to one instance of the deploymentswitch entity 518, and each instance of the deployment switch parameterentity 522 is related to one instance of the deployment switch entity.

FIGS. 6-11 illustrate various flowcharts of example method stepsassociated with orchestration pipelines of segmented computing platformsin accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The stepsillustrated in FIG. 6-11 and described in further detail below areprovided by way of example only in order to illustrate the principlesassociated with executing an orchestration pipeline for a computingplatform. It will be appreciated with the benefit of this disclosurethat specific implementations may include selectively performing stepssimilar to those illustrated in FIGS. 6-11. It will also be appreciatedwith the benefit of this disclosure that specific implementations mayinclude, e.g., performing steps in addition to those illustrated inFIGS. 6-11, performing steps that combine multiple steps respectivelyillustrated in FIGS. 6-11, omitting one or more of the steps illustratedin FIGS. 6-11, and/or performing steps in sequences that differ from thesequences respectively illustrated in FIGS. 6-11.

In FIG. 6, a flowchart 600 of example methods steps for executing anorchestration pipeline in accordance with aspects of the presentdisclosure is shown. A computing platform definition is created andstored in a repository (602). Hardware devices defined in the computingplatform definition are then deployed at a data center (604). Anorchestration engine then initiates processing of an orchestrationpipeline for a computing platform corresponding to the computingplatform corresponding to the computing platform definition (606). Theorchestration engine retrieves from the computing platform definition,via a computing platform API, the specifications of a stage of theorchestration pipeline (608). The orchestration engine executes thestage of the orchestration pipeline according to the specificationsretrieved from the computing platform definition (610). Theorchestration engine then determines whether the stage of theorchestration pipeline successfully completed (612). If not (612:N),then the orchestration engine halts processing of the orchestrationpipeline (614) and reports that the stage of the orchestration pipelinefailed to complete successfully (616). If the stage does completesuccessfully (612:Y), then the orchestration engine may determinewhether there are additional stages of the orchestration pipelineremaining to perform (618). If not (618:N), then the orchestrationengine reports that the orchestration pipeline completed successfully.If there are additional stages of the orchestration pipeline to perform(618:Y), then the orchestration engine may initiate the next stage ofthe orchestration pipeline (620) and repeat the steps of obtaining thespecifications from the computing platform definition for execution ofthe next stage (608-610).

In FIG. 7, a flowchart 700 of example methods steps for executing abuild stage of an orchestration pipeline in accordance with aspects ofthe present disclosure is shown. An orchestration detects a trigger forthe build stage of the orchestration pipeline (702) and identifies oneor more executables associated with the build trigger (704). As notedabove, an example build trigger may be the commitment of source code foran executable at a versioning system of a source code repository. Theorchestration engine then retrieves, via a computing platform API, oneor more computing platform definitions associated with the one or moreexecutables identified (706). For each computing platform definition,the orchestration engine retrieves, via the computing platform API, thebuild dependencies specified in the computing platform definition (708).The orchestration engine then initiates one or more builds according tothe specified build dependencies in order to obtain one or more buildartifacts (710). For each build artifact obtained, the orchestrationengine retrieves, via the computing platform API, a list of the devicesassociated with the build artifact (712). The orchestration engine thendeploys each build artifact to its related devices (714).

In FIG. 8, a flowchart 800 of example methods steps for executing adeployment stage of an orchestration pipeline in accordance with aspectsof the present disclosure is shown. An orchestration engine detects atrigger for the deploy stage of the orchestration pipeline (802) andidentifies one or more computing platforms associated with the deploystage (804). As noted above, an example deploy trigger may be thecompletion of a build stage for a computing platform. The orchestrationengine then retrieves, via a computing platform API, the computingplatform definition for the identified computing platform (806). Theorchestration engine also retrieves from the computing platformdefinition, via the computing platform API, a list of the devices of thecomputing platform (808), a list of the executables of the computingplatform and their corresponding build artifacts (810), and one or moredeployment sequences for the executables of the computing platform(812). Based on the deployment sequences retrieved, the orchestrationengine deploys the build artifacts of the executables to the appropriatedevices of each computing platform (814).

In FIG. 9, a flowchart 900 of example methods steps for executing atesting stage of an orchestration pipeline in accordance with aspects ofthe present disclosure is shown. An orchestration engine detects atrigger for the testing stage of an orchestration pipeline (902) andidentifies a computing platform associated with the testing stage (904).As noted above, an example testing trigger may be the completion of adeploy stage of the orchestration pipeline. The orchestration engineretrieves, via a computing platform API, the computing platformdefinition for the identified computing platform (906). Theorchestration engine also retrieves from the computing platformdefinition, via the computing platform API, a list of the test cases forthe computing platform (908), the test data to utilize when executingthe test cases (910), and the test criteria to utilize when evaluatingthe results of the test cases (912). The orchestration engineadditionally retrieves from the computing platform definition, via thecomputing platform API, any data processing rules for the computingplatform (914). The orchestration engine then initiates theconfiguration of a testing environment with the retrieved test data(916) and initiates processing of the retrieved test data according tothe retrieved data processing rules (918). For each test case, theorchestration engine initiates execution of the test case at thecomputing platform in the testing environment (920). It will beappreciated that the orchestration engine may perform the testing stageof the orchestration pipeline for a computing platform implemented in aproduction environment. In addition, the orchestration engine may invokeor otherwise utilize testing tools that may reside at one or more remotecomputing devices (e.g., remote computing device 108) to carry out thetest cases. Once all test cases have been executed, the orchestrationengine determines whether the test case results satisfy the testcriteria specified in the computing platform definition (922). If not(924:N), then the orchestration engine reports that the test casesfailed to satisfy the test criteria (926). If so (924:Y), then theorchestration engine reports that the testing stage of the orchestrationpipeline completed successfully (928).

In FIG. 10, a flowchart 1000 of example methods steps for executing ascanning stage of an orchestration pipeline in accordance with aspectsof the present disclosure is shown. An orchestration engine detects atrigger for a scanning stage of an orchestration pipeline (1002) andidentifies the computing platform associated with the scanning stage(1004). As noted above, an example scanning trigger may be thecompletion of a testing stage of the orchestration pipeline. Theorchestration engine retrieves, via a computing platform API, thecomputing platform definition for the identified computing platform(1006). The orchestration engine also retrieves from the computingplatform definition, via the computing platform API, a list ofexecutables of the computing platform (1008), a list of code standardsto apply to the source code of the executables (1010), and the codestandard criteria to utilize when evaluating the results of applying thecode standards (1012). For each executable, the orchestration engineinitiates an evaluation of its source code according to one or more ofthe retrieved code standards (1014). The orchestration engine may invokeor otherwise utilize code scanning tools that may reside at one or moreremote computing devices (e.g., remote computing device 108) to applythe code standards. Once all code standards have been applied, theorchestration engine determines whether the results of the codeevaluations satisfy the code standard criteria specified in thecomputing platform definition (1016). If not (1018:N), then theorchestration engine reports that the source code for the executables ofthe computing platform does not satisfy the code standards defined forthat computing platform (1020). If so, (1018:Y), then the orchestrationengine reports that the source code for the executables does satisfy thecode standards defined for that computing platform (1022).

In FIG. 11, a flowchart 1100 of example methods steps for executing aenforce stage of an orchestration pipeline in accordance with aspects ofthe present disclosure is shown. An orchestration engine detects atrigger for an enforcement stage of an orchestration pipeline (1102) andidentifies the computing platform associated with the enforcement stage(1104). As noted above, an example enforcement trigger may be thereceipt of user input at user interface (e.g., orchestration userinterface 132) initiating an on-demand evaluation of a computingplatform implemented at a data center. The orchestration engineretrieves, via a computing platform API, the computing platformdefinition for the identified computing platform (1106). Theorchestration engine then retrieves from the computing platformdefinition, via a computing platform API, a list of the devicescorresponding computing platforms should include (1108), a list of theexecutables corresponding computing platforms should include (1110), alist of the enforcement standards to apply when evaluating theimplementation of a computing platform (1112), and the enforcementcriteria to utilize when evaluating the results of applying theenforcement standards (1114). The orchestration engine then identifiesthe devices deployed for an implementation of a computing platform(1116) and identifies the executables deployed to those devices of thecomputing platform (1118). The orchestration engine thus compares, basedon one or more of the enforcement standards, the devices actuallydeployed for the implementation of the computing platform to the list ofdevices indicated in its corresponding computing platform definition(1120). The orchestration engine also compares, based on one or more ofthe enforcement standards, the executables actually deployed for theimplementation of the computing platform to the list of executablesindicated in its corresponding computing platform definition (1122).

As noted above, comparing the implementation of the computing platformto its corresponding computing platform definition may include, forexample, determining whether the deployed devices match the devicesindicated in the computing platform definition (e.g., number of devices,type of devices, configuration of devices) and determining whether thedeployed executables match the executables indicated in the computingplatform definition (e.g., number of executables, configuration ofexecutables). Comparing the implementation of the computing platform toits corresponding computing platform definition may also includedetermining the extent to which an implementation of a computingplatform deviates from its corresponding computing platform definition.Deviations may include, for example, devices and/or executables thatshould be deployed at the computing platform but are not deployed,devices and/or executables that are deployed at the computing platformbut are not indicated in its corresponding computing platformdefinition, a difference between the configuration settings of a devicesand/or executable and the corresponding configuration settings indicatedin the computing platform definition, and the like. The deviations maybe expressed as totals or percentages, e.g., the total number of devicesand/or executables that do not match the computing platform definition,the percentage of devices and/or executables that do not match thecomputing platform definition, and the like.

Once all enforcement standards have been applied, the orchestrationengine determines whether the results of the computing platformevaluations satisfy the enforcement standard criteria specified in thecomputing platform definition (1124). If not (1126:N), then theorchestration engine reports that the implementation of the computingplatform does not satisfy the enforcement criteria defined for thatcomputing platform (1128). If so, (1126:Y), then the orchestrationengine reports that the implementation of the computing platform doessatisfy the enforcement criteria defined for that computing platform(1130).

In FIG. 12, a block diagram of various computing components that may beselectively employed to implement aspects of the present disclosure isshown. FIG. 12 illustrates a block diagram of an example of animplementation of a computing system 1200 that may be employed inaccordance with aspects of this disclosure. The computing system 1200includes a computing device 1201 having a processor 1203 with circuitry1204 for controlling overall operation of the computing device itsassociated components, including RAM 1205, ROM 1207, an input/output(I/O) module 1209, and memory 1215.

I/O module 1209 may include a microphone, keypad, touch screen, and/orstylus through which a user of the computing device 1201 may provideinput, and may also include one or more of a speaker for providing audiooutput and a video display device for providing textual, audiovisualand/or graphical output. Software may be stored within memory 1215and/or storage to provide instructions to the processor 1203 forenabling the computing device 1201 to perform various functions. Forexample, memory 1215 may store software used by the computing device1201, such as an operating system 1217, application programs 1219, andan associated database 1221. The processor 1203 and its associatedcomponents may allow the computing device 1201 to run a series ofcomputer-readable instructions to carry out functions associated withcreating and managing computing platform definitions and functionsassociated with executing an orchestration pipeline for animplementation of a computing platform.

The computing device 1201 may operate in a networked environmentsupporting connections to one or more remote computers and/or systems.The computing device 1201, in this example, is communicatively connectedto a computing platform orchestration system 1241 and a computingplatform maintenance system 1251. The systems 1241 and 1251 may be thesame as, or at least similar to the computing platform orchestrationsystem 104 and the computing platform maintenance system 102 discussedabove with reference to FIG. 1. The systems 1241 and 1251 may alsoinclude one or more computing devices that include many or all of theelements described above with respect to the computing device 1201.

The network connections depicted in FIG. 12 include a local area network(LAN) 1225 and a wide area network (WAN) 1229, but may also includeother networks. When used in a LAN networking environment, the computingdevice 1201 is connected to the LAN 1225 through a network interface oradapter 1223. When used in a WAN networking environment, the computingdevice 1201 may include a modem 1227 or other means for establishingcommunications over the WAN 1229, such as the Internet 1231. It will beappreciated that the network connections shown are illustrative andother means of establishing a communications link between the computersmay be used. The existence of any of various well-known protocols suchas TCP/IP, Ethernet, FTP, HTTP and the like is presumed.

Additionally, application programs 1219 used by the computing device1201 include computer-executable instructions for invoking functionalityrelated to creating, implementing, testing, and enforcing computingplatform definitions.

The computing device 1201 and/or systems 1241 and 1251 may also includemobile terminals, such as smart phones, personal digital assistants(PDAs), tablet computing devices, and the like, which may includevarious other components, such as a battery, speaker, and antennas (notshown).

The disclosure may be described in the general context ofspecial-purpose computer-executable instructions, such as programmodules, being executed by a computer. Generally, program modulesinclude routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, andthe like that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstractdata types. The disclosure may also be practiced in distributedcomputing environments where tasks are performed by remote processingdevices that are linked, for example, through a communications network.In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be locatedin both local and remote computer storage media including memory storagedevices.

Aspects of the disclosure have been described in terms of illustrativeembodiments thereof. Numerous other embodiments, implementations,modifications and variations within the scope and spirit of the appendedclaims will occur to persons of ordinary skill in the art from a reviewof this disclosure. For example, one of ordinary skill in the art willappreciate that the steps illustrated in the illustrative figures may beperformed in other than the recited order, and that one or more stepsillustrated may be optional in accordance with aspects of thedisclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for providing access to a configurationof a computing platform comprising: one or more processors; a data storestoring a computing platform definition, the computing platformdefinition comprising (i) a set of device entries, each device entryindicating a device to deploy to a computing platform, (ii) a set ofexecutable entries, each executable entry indicating an executable todeploy to a device of the computing platform, and (iii) a set of testcase entries, each test case entry indicating a test case to performwith respect to the computing platform; an interface comprising aplurality of callable units, each callable unit providing a portion ofthe computing platform definition when invoked, wherein the plurality ofcallable units comprises (a) a first callable unit that, when invoked,provides the computing platform definition itself, (b) a second callableunit that, when invoked, provides at least one device entry of the setof device entries, (c) a third callable unit that, when invoked,provides at least one executable entry of the set of executable entries,and (d) a fourth callable unit that, when invoked, provides at least onetest case entry of the set of test case entries; an orchestration enginecommunicatively connected to the interface and to a computing platformthat implements the computing platform definition via a set of devicescorresponding to the set of device entries and a set of executablescorresponding to the set of executable entries; and memory storinginstructions that, when executed by one of the processors, cause thesystem to: receive, at the interface from the orchestration engine, arequest that invokes a callable unit of the plurality of callable units,retrieve, by the interface from the data store, the portion of thecomputing platform definition associated with the callable unit, andprovide, by the interface to the orchestration engine, a responsecomprising the portion of the computing platform definition retrieved,wherein receipt of the response by the orchestration engine causes theorchestration engine to utilize the portion of the computing platformdefinition provided during execution, with respect to the computingplatform, of a stage of an orchestration pipeline, wherein theorchestration pipeline comprises a test stage during which theorchestration engine initiates, with respect to the computing platform,the test case indicated in the at least one test case entry provided. 2.The system of claim 1, wherein: the computing platform definitionfurther comprises (iv) a set of test data entries, each test data entryindicating test data to utilize when performing a test case indicated inthe set of test case entries; the plurality of callable units furthercomprises (e) a fifth callable unit that, when invoked, provides atleast one test data entry of the set of test data entries; and theorchestration engine utilizes the test data indicated in the at leastone test data entry provided during performance of the test caseindicated in the at least one test data entry provided.
 3. The system ofclaim 1, wherein: the computing platform definition further comprises(iv) a set of code standard entries, each code standard entryidentifying a code standard that source code of an executable of thecomputing platform must satisfy; the plurality of callable units furthercomprises (e) a fifth callable unit that, when invoked, provides atleast one code standard entry of the set of code standard entries; andthe orchestration pipeline comprises a scan stage during which theorchestration engine determines whether source code of one or moreexecutables of the computing platform satisfies the code standardindicated in the at least one code standard entry provided.
 4. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein: the computing platform definition furthercomprises (iv) a set of enforcement standard entries, each enforcementstandard entry identifying an enforcement standard the computingplatform must satisfy; the plurality of callable units further comprises(e) a fifth callable unit that, when invoked, provides at least oneenforcement standard entry of the set of enforcement standard entries;and the orchestration pipeline comprises an enforce stage during whichthe orchestration engine determines whether the computing platformsatisfies the enforcement standard indicated in the at least oneenforcement standard entry provided.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein:the computing platform definition is one of a plurality of versions ofthe computing platform definition stored at the data store; and theplurality of callable units comprises a callable unit that, wheninvoked, provides a version of the computing platform definition of theplurality of versions of the computing platform definition.
 6. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein: the computing platform definition furthercomprises a configuration setting.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein:the instructions, when executed, further cause the system to provide anotification indicating a discrepancy between an implemented computingplatform and the computing platform definition.
 8. Acomputer-implemented method for providing access to a configuration of acomputing platform comprising: storing, at a data store of a computingdevice, a computing platform definition, the computing platformdefinition comprising (i) a set of device entries, each device entryindicating a device to deploy to a computing platform, (ii) a set ofexecutable entries, each executable entry indicating an executable todeploy to a device of the computing platform, and (iii) a set of testcase entries, each test case entry indicating a test case to performwith respect to the computing platform; providing, by the computingdevice, an interface comprising a plurality of callable units, eachcallable unit providing a portion of the computing platform definitionwhen invoked, wherein the plurality of callable units comprises (a) afirst callable unit that, when invoked, provides the computing platformdefinition itself, (b) a second callable unit that, when invoked,provides at least one device entry of the set of device entries, (c) athird callable unit that, when invoked, provides at least one executableentry of the set of executable entries, and (d) a fourth callable unitthat, when invoked, provides at least one test case entry of the set oftest case entries; receiving, by the interface from an orchestrationengine, a request that invokes a callable unit of the plurality ofcallable units, the orchestration engine being communicatively connectedto the interface and to a computing platform that implements thecomputing platform definition via a set of devices corresponding to theset of device entries and a set of executables corresponding to the setof executable entries; retrieving, by the interface from the data store,the portion of the computing platform definition associated with thecallable unit; and providing, by the interface to the orchestrationengine, a response comprising the portion of the computing platformdefinition retrieved; wherein receipt of the response by theorchestration engine causes the orchestration engine to utilize theportion of the computing platform provided during execution, withrespect to the computing platform, of a stage of an orchestrationpipeline, wherein the orchestration pipeline comprises a test stageduring which the orchestration engine initiates, with respect to thecomputing platform, the test case indicated in the at least one testcase entry provided.
 9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8,wherein: the computing platform definition further comprises (iv) a setof test data entries, each test data entry indicating test data toutilize when performing a test case indicated in the set of test caseentries; the plurality of callable units further comprises (e) a fifthcallable unit that, when invoked, provides at least one test data entryof the set of test data entries; and the orchestration engine utilizesthe test data indicated in the at least one test data entry providedduring performance of the test case indicated in the at least one testdata entry provided.
 10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8,wherein: the computing platform definition further comprises (iv) a setof code standard entries, each code standard entry identifying a codestandard that source code of an executable of the computing platformmust satisfy; the plurality of callable units further comprises (e) afifth callable unit that, when invoked, provides at least one codestandard entry of the set of code standard entries; and theorchestration pipeline comprises a scan stage during which theorchestration engine determines whether source code of one or moreexecutables of the computing platform satisfies the code standardindicated in the at least one code standard entry provided.
 11. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein: the computing platformdefinition further comprises (iv) a set of enforcement standard entries,each enforcement standard entry identifying an enforcement standard thecomputing platform must satisfy; the plurality of callable units furthercomprises (e) a fifth callable unit that, when invoked, provides atleast one enforcement standard entry of the set of enforcement standardentries; and the orchestration pipeline comprises an enforce stageduring which the orchestration engine determines whether the computingplatform satisfies the enforcement standard indicated in the at leastone enforcement standard entry provided.
 12. The computer-implementedmethod of claim 8, wherein: the computing platform definition is one ofa plurality of versions of the computing platform definition stored atthe data store; and the plurality of callable units comprises a callableunit that, when invoked, provides a version of the computing platformdefinition of the plurality of versions of the computing platformdefinition.
 13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein: thecomputing platform definition further comprises a configuration setting.14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:providing a notification indicating a discrepancy between an implementedcomputing platform and the computing platform definition. 15.Non-transitory computer-readable media for providing access to aconfiguration of a computing platform comprising instructions that, whenexecuted by one or more processors of a computing system, cause thecomputing system to: store, at a data store of a computing device, acomputing platform definition, the computing platform definitioncomprising (i) a set of device entries, each device entry indicating adevice to deploy to a computing platform, (ii) a set of executableentries, each executable entry indicating an executable to deploy to adevice of the computing platform, and (iii) a set of test case entries,each test case entry indicating a test case to perform with respect tothe computing platform; provide, by the computing device, an interfacecomprising a plurality of callable units, each callable unit providing aportion of the computing platform definition when invoked, wherein theplurality of callable units comprises (a) a first callable unit that,when invoked, provides the computing platform definition itself, (b) asecond callable unit that, when invoked, provides at least one deviceentry of the set of device entries, (c) a third callable unit that, wheninvoked, provides at least one executable entry of the set of executableentries, and (d) a fourth callable unit that, when invoked, provides atleast one test case entry of the set of test case entries; receive, bythe interface from an orchestration engine, a request that invokes acallable unit of the plurality of callable units, the orchestrationengine being communicatively connected to the interface and to acomputing platform that implements the computing platform definition viaa set of devices corresponding to the set of device entries and a set ofexecutables corresponding to the set of executable entries; retrieve, bythe interface from the data store, the portion of the computing platformdefinition associated with the callable unit; and provide, by theinterface to the orchestration engine, a response comprising the portionof the computing platform definition retrieved; wherein receipt of theresponse by the orchestration engine causes the orchestration engine toutilize the portion of the computing platform provided during execution,with respect to the computing platform, of a stage of an orchestrationpipeline, wherein the orchestration pipeline comprises a test stageduring which the orchestration engine initiates, with respect to thecomputing platform, the test case indicated in the at least one testcase entry provided.
 16. The non-transitory computer-readable media ofclaim 15, wherein: the computing platform definition further comprises(iv) a set of test data entries, each test data entry indicating testdata to utilize when performing a test case indicated in the set of testcase entries; the plurality of callable units further comprises (e) afifth callable unit that, when invoked, provides at least one test dataentry of the set of test data entries; and the orchestration engineutilizes the test data indicated in the at least one test data entryprovided during performance of the test case indicated in the at leastone test data entry provided.
 17. The non-transitory computer-readablemedia of claim 15, wherein: the computing platform definition furthercomprises (iv) a set of code standard entries, each code standard entryidentifying a code standard that source code of an executable of thecomputing platform must satisfy; the plurality of callable units furthercomprises (e) a fifth callable unit that, when invoked, provides atleast one code standard entry of the set of code standard entries; andthe orchestration pipeline comprises a scan stage during which theorchestration engine determines whether source code of one or moreexecutables of the computing platform satisfies the code standardindicated in the at least one code standard entry provided.
 18. Thenon-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein: thecomputing platform definition further comprises (iv) a set ofenforcement standard entries, each enforcement standard entryidentifying an enforcement standard the computing platform must satisfy;the plurality of callable units further comprises (e) a fifth callableunit that, when invoked, provides at least one enforcement standardentry of the set of enforcement standard entries; and the orchestrationpipeline comprises an enforce stage during which the orchestrationengine determines whether the computing platform satisfies theenforcement standard indicated in the at least one enforcement standardentry provided.
 19. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim15, wherein: the computing platform definition is one of a plurality ofversions of the computing platform definition stored at the data store;and the plurality of callable units comprises a callable unit that, wheninvoked, provides a version of the computing platform definition of theplurality of versions of the computing platform definition.
 20. Thenon-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein theinstructions, when executed, further cause the computing system to:provide a notification indicating a discrepancy between an implementedcomputing platform and the computing platform definition.